Literature Review

High Desert PACE Program launches in Victorville to provide comprehensive care for seniors Victor Valley News Group (VVNG), Victorville, CA; 8/25/24 The Victor Valley region now has a new, innovative resource for its senior population with the launch of the High Desert PACE (Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly). This new program is dedicated to offering comprehensive and personalized care to elderly individuals, helping them maintain their independence and quality of life while living in the comfort of their own homes.

Eastman Cooke completes senior healthcare facility in Brookly: ... First PACE Center in New York City EIN Presswire; 8/19/24 Eastman Cooke & Associates (ECA), a full-service, general contracting firm based in Manhattan and Long Island, has completed the construction of the first PACE Center (Program of All Inclusive Care for the Elderly) on the East Coast at 5521 8th Avenue in the Sunset Park section of Brooklyn. ... The project included the build-out of the full 8,600-square-foot second floor for the waiting room, examination rooms, and Department of Health certified medical practice. The 1,000-square-foot third floor and 1,900-square-foot fourth floor will be used as staff support and socialization areas. In addition, Eastman Cooke upgraded the electrical infrastructure at the cellar level and installed a fully integrated HVAC system at the rooftop level.

BoldAge CMO Glenn Meyers: PACE is palliative care Hospice News; by Jim Parker; 8/19/24 Palliative care is integral to Programs for All-Inclusive Care of the Elderly (PACE) programs, according to Dr. Glenn Meyers, who was recently promoted to chief medical officer of BoldAge PACE. New Jersey-headquartered BoldAge emerged last year, established by a group of former hospice and home health leaders. The company currently operates four PACE centers located in the Northwest and the Midwest, with two more slated to open before the end of the year. Ultimately, BoldAge PACE plans to build a national footprint.

Factors associated with Do Not Resuscitate status and palliative care in hospitalized patients: A national inpatient sample analysis Palliative Medicine Reports; by Jean-Sebastien Rachoin, Nicole Debski, Krystal Hunter, Elizabeth CerceoIn the United States, the proportion of hospitalized patients with DNR, PC, and DNR with PC increased from 2016 to 2019. Overall, inpatient mortality and LOS fell, but hospital charges per patient increased. Significant gender and ethnic differences emerged. Black patients and males were less likely to have DNR status and had higher inpatient mortality, LOS, and hospital charges.

Blue Ridge Hospice moves forward with new PACE ProgramHospice News; by Jim Parker; 8/12/24 Blue Ridge Hospice is launching its first Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) program, which will begin accepting participants on Sept. 1. The program is branded as Blue Ridge Independence at Home, designed to offer seniors a “comprehensive” suite of services to address medical and nonmedical needs and help them stay in their homes, the organization indicated. The launch reflects a longstanding trend of hospices diversifying their services to include upstream care, an area in which PACE programs are gaining ground. “Our desire to get into the PACE program was driven by a need to make the continuum of care more smooth for the frail aging population, ...” Jason Parsons, CEO of Blue Ridge Hospice, told Hospice News.Editor's Note: Blue Ridge Hospice is in Winchester, VA. 

Senators introduce bipartisan bill to expand zccess to senior care program [PACE] FCFreePress.com; by News Desk - Health News; 7/25/24 [Thursday, 7/25/24,] U.S. Senators Bob Casey (D-PA) and Mike Braun (R-IN), leaders of the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging, introduced the bipartisan PACE Anytime Act. This legislative move seeks to broaden the accessibility of the Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) which serves thousands of lower-income seniors and individuals with disabilities by offering comprehensive, integrated care. ... Under current regulations, eligible individuals can only enroll in PACE programs at the beginning of each month. The PACE Anytime Act proposes to remove this restriction, allowing for enrollment at any time during the month, thereby making the program more accessible. 

A blood test accurately diagnosed Alzheimer’s 90% of the time, study finds The New York Times; by Pam Belluck; 7/28/24 The New York Times says researchers “reported that a blood test was significantly more accurate than doctors’ interpretation of cognitive tests and CT scans in signaling” Alzheimer’s disease. The study “found that about 90% of the time the blood test correctly identified whether patients with memory problems had Alzheimer’s,” while “dementia specialists using standard methods that did not include expensive PET scans or invasive spinal taps were accurate 73% of the time” and “primary care doctors using those methods got it right only 61% of the time.” The findings were published in JAMA and presented at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference.

Empath Health, Trustbridge leaders are setting home health sights high after integration Home Health Care News; by Joyce Famakinwa; 7/26/24 Empath Health is a company in transition. In the spring, it completed an affiliation process with Trustbridge, which formed the largest nonprofit post-acute provider organization in the state of Florida. ... Since completion of the affiliation process, the company has focused on integration, synergistic opportunities and determining how best to deliver care to the communities it serves. One of the people at the helm of this transition is Tarrah Lowry, Empath Health’s chief operating officer and Trustbridge’s interim president. [Click on the title's link to read the recent interview by Home Health Care News' with Tarrah Lowry.]

[Michigan] Local PACE center in the works WCMU Michigan News Group, Alpena, MI; by Courtney Boyd; 7/24/24 Construction has begun for a new senior service center in Alpena, which will provide services in-house and to residents homes as needed. The project has been in the works since 2023. The Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) is a non-profit organization whose goal is to provide the “highest quality of life” for seniors while allowing them to stay independent as long as possible. According to their website, pacemichigan.com, it serves as an alternative to nursing homes by providing seniors with their medical, social, and physical needs. ... [This] new center will be the 15th in the state and cover five counties: Alpena, Presque Isle, Montmorency, Alcona and parts of Iosco.

New York Department of Health previews proposed PACE regulations Lexology; by Greenberg Traurig, LLP; 7/16/24 In December 2022, New York Gov. Hochul signed legislation establishing a new streamlined licensure process for the Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) under Article 29-EE of the New York Public Health Law. The Department of Health (DOH) previewed the Commissioner of Health’s proposed implementing regulations at a June 2024 meeting of the Public Health and Health Planning Council (PHHPC). The proposed regulations will be subject to the procedures of the State Administrative Procedure Act, which requires that they be published in the State Register and that the public be given a comment period. [Click on the title's link for details.]

Senior CommUnity Care of NKY Program announces opening of PACE senior care program Northern Kentucky Tribune; 7/16/24 Senior CommUnity Care of Northern Kentucky is celebrating the opening of the Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) serving eligible participants residing in Northern Kentucky — including Boone, Campbell, Kenton, Gallatin, Carroll, Owen, Grant and Pendleton counties. ... Senior CommUnity Care of Northern Kentucky is a partnership of Volunteers of America National Services (VOANS) PACE Holding Company, a recognized PACE operator, and St. Elizabeth Healthcare.

Senior living providers embrace role in CMS dementia care pilot program McKnights Senior Living; by Kimberly Bonvissuto; 7/11/24 Senior living providers named participants in the federal government’s new dementia care pilot program said they are excited to be part of a new effort to support people living with dementia and their family caregivers. The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation, CMMI, announced the Guiding an Improved Dementia Experience, or GUIDE, model last summer. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services launched the eight-year GUIDE model on July 1 and published the program participant list on Monday [7/8]. Eligible model participants are Medicare Part B-enrolled providers eligible to bill for Medicare services and that provide, or will provide, ongoing care to people living with dementia. Eligible organizations include accountable care organizations, home health and hospice agencies, Programs of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly, and physician practices. Additional long-term care providers and other healthcare providers, however, can participate as partner organizations by contract with another Medicare provider/supplier to meet the program care delivery requirements. Assisted living residents who are Medicare beneficiaries may be part of the model. Editor's Note: Adding to our previously published posts about the new CMS GUIDE Program (7/10/24 and 7/11/24) and its use by hospice organizations, this article describes its use by senior living care providers. 

Illinois launches PACE services to provide better care integration for elderly population State of Reform - Illinois News; by Maddie McCarthy; 7/2/24 The Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) officially launched in Illinois in June, and designated PACE centers have begun rolling out services to their members. ... “PACE is an integrated model of care that provides all the care and services covered by Medicare and Medicaid, as authorized by the interdisciplinary team, as well as additional medically-necessary care and services not covered by Medicare and Medicaid,” said the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services (HFS) in a statement sent to State of Reform. Illinois has five regions offering PACE services: West Chicago, South Chicago, Southern Cook County, Peoria, and East St. Louis. HFS and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) awarded contracts to seven designated centers.